Today’s Lie: We Should All Follow the Same Social Media Steps to Success

Unless you have been living in a shelter 1,000 feet below ground, under a rock, with no internet or TV, or ability to play CDs, or listen to the radio you have probably noticed there are a number of people who will offer you some brilliant tips on how to make the most of social media. There are Facebook Experts, Twitter Trainers, and LinkedIn wizards. We can learn all about the steps to follow to be successful on any number of social media platforms.

The advice can be really good, but, what if your target market doesn’t hang out on social media? What if social media overwhelms you? What if you just hate social media?!

Has anyone else realized that if we all follow the same exact steps, then we all end up with the same marketing? And, if we end up with the same marketing then how do we successfully distinguish ourselves from the other business owners that do something similar to us? More and more, I wonder if “social media” hasn’t become synonymous with “marketing” as if that is all there is to marketing. And, the unfortunate impact is that many business owners feel disappointed and overwhelmed by the idea of marketing because of social media.

It is my belief that there are MANY parts to marketing, and that simply learning how to use social media does not necessarily help you market your business effectively. I also believe we each need to look into different ways to market our selves and our messaging, and that can’t be done by following the same steps as everyone else. So, how do you do that? Here are a few tips:

Get really clear on what makes you unique, as a person – focus on what makes you different

Figure out how to incorporate your uniqueness into what you offer and how you describe it

Write down the ideal vision you have for your business and its success

line up your marketing strategies with your vision, your uniqueness, and your style